Our goal is to support the creation of thoughtfully designed online courses that foster interaction between students, and between students and faculty, grounded in our identity as an institution that prioritizes interpersonal engagement. Together, faculty and students collaborate to build inclusive learning environments that allow all students to thrive.

Our online learning design values include:

  • Creating learner-centered experiences
  • Designing interaction between peers, instructors, and content
  • Clear organization and navigability of course sites and materials
  • Clear and transparent communication between instructors and students
  • Creating accessible course sites and materials that support a wide range of learner variability
  • Creating welcoming learning environments
Asian-presenting woman with long dark and green-dyed hair, sitting at a silver Mac laptop, wearing a red and black checked flannel shirt and bright orange headphones

What Does Asynchronous Online Learning Look Like At Middlebury?

The term asynchronous learning tends to conjure the video-and-quiz based HR compliance trainings that you may be required to complete. While these trainings are asynchronous – completed on your own time rather than a scheduled time – they represent only one type of interaction, between learners (you) and content (the videos and quizzes).

Interaction is a key ingredient in asynchronous online learning at Middlebury – interaction between students, students and instructors, as well as students and content. Asynchronous online courses at Middlebury are not self-paced or independent; they are active, engaging, and completed in a learning community of instructors and peers.

Resources for Online Pedagogy

These resources provide support for online teaching and outline expectations for quality course design.